Means or device for operating tramway and other points and the like.



PATENTED JUNE 18. 1907.

' J. R. PEAGOGK. MEANS 0R DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY AND OTHER POINTSAND THE LIKE;

APPLICATION FAILED DEC. 18, 1900.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN READ PEACOCK, OF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MEANS OR DEVICE FOR OPERATING TRAMWAY AND'OTHER POINTS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed December 18, 1906. Serial No. 348,400.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN READ PEACOCK, a subject of the King of Great.Britain and Ireland, residing at No. 43 Radford boule' vard, Nottingham,inthe county ofNottingham, England, have invented certain. new anduseful Improvements in Means or Devices for Operating Tramway and otherPoints and the Like and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention consists of an improved appliance or device for operatingtramway and other points from the car or other vehicle traveling on thesaid tramway, so as to avoid the necessity of having pointsmen at thedifferent junctions for operating these points.

In order that my invention may be fully understood and more readilycarried out and into effect, I have appended hereunto one sheet ofdrawings whereon 1 Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved appliance asapplied to a tramway when it is required to turn a tramcar from a curvedroad on to a straight road. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same applianceshowing the position of the point rail before the appliance foroperating same is put into operation. Fig. 3 is also a plan of the aboveshowing the position of the point rail after being moved by myappliance. Fig. 4 is a plan of my improved appliance as applied to atramway whenit is required to turn a tram car from a straight road on toa curved road.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral figures.

In these figures R is the main tram rail, P is the point rail to beoperatedpivoted at one end P and fitted near the other end with a rod orspindle C fitted with a spring, one end of which takes a bearing againstone side of the spring box D, which incloses same and is fitted with acover. This spring on spindle C keeps the point rail P close up to therail Ras shown in Fig. 2when in its normal position; and up to the curverail V in the appliance shown in Fig. 4.

Along the outer side of the main rail R before coming to the point railP, as shown in Figs. 12 & 3, I have a grooved plate 0 bolted to th tramrail R, made so as to form a groove N parallel with same, and extendingnearly upto the moving end P of the point rail I. At the end of thisgroove I form a similar groove I in the rail head R running in adiagonal manner across same to a little beyond end P of the point railP. Underneath the tramcar or other vehicle, and in front of one or moreof the wheels, I attach to the framing G-or other suitable parta bracketor slide L; in which slides freely a spindle or pusher M-fitted with asuitable springso as to keep'clear of the rail, the lever A and frictionroller F at the end of spindle M when out of action. This pusher M islowered by the driver or conductor on the car depressing a pedal (or byother suitable means) attached to one of the rods B which is coupled tothe bell-crank lever T connected to the pusher M.

The normal position of the lever A and friction roller F is as shown inFig. 2, where the roller F is exactly over the groove N, being heldthere normally by the spring rod E, and the action of the whole is asfollows 2- When the car is approaching the point rail Pin the directionof the arrows shown on the drawingand it is required to turn it ofi onetrack on to another, the driver or conductor depresses the pusher pedalactuating rod B, bell-crank lever T and pusher M,

so as to lower the roller F into the groove N,

along which it runs until it comes to the diagonal groove N 2 out in thehead of the rail R, which it enters and runs diagonally in same to theother side of the rail, until the roller F comes in contact with end Pof the point rail P, by which it is pushed away from the rail R and soallows the car to turn off from the track V to the track X. After thecar has passed the point rail P it is closed automatically by the springon spindle C, or by a weight or other suitable means and the pusherroller F is also automatically raised clear of the groove N and rail Rby the spring on spindle M, when the driver removes his foot from thepedal, and resumes its normal position as shown in Fig. 2.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 the action is reversed, the roller Fin running from the groove N along the diagonal groove N pushes the endP of the point rail P against the rail R, so as to allow the car to turnoff from the track X to the track V.

In some cases, and in cases where trailing cars are used, I have one ormore runners or guide wheels suspended from the car or cars, in such amanner that they always run in the groove formed in the head of rail R,so as to keep the point rail P open for the passage of all the Wheels ofthe car or trailing cars.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is y 1 In tramway pointsthe combination of the moving end of a point rail with a spring inclosedin a point box, or taking a bearing against the tram rail, a groovedguide formed alongside the tram rail terminating with a similar grooveformed diagonally across the head of the tram rail, to a little beyondthe moving end of the point rail, With one or more friction rollerssuspended from a tramcar frame which can be lowered into the groovedguide and pass along same and along the diagonal groove in the tram railuntil they come in contact with the moving end of the point rail, allfor the purposes specified and substantially as described.

2. A tramway point operating appliance comprising a spring attached tothe moving end of the point rail and bearing against a point box or atram rail, a grooved guide formed alongside the tram rail, incombination with a diagonal groove formed across the head of the tramrail, and one or more friction rollers suspended from a passing tramcarwhich can be lowered in and travel along the said grooved guide anddiagonal groove, all for the purposes specified and substantially asshown and described hereinbefore.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN READ PEACOCK. Witnesses:

H. WALKER HILL, FRANK A. DADY.

